Method of moving pistons of explosive-engines.



Patented lune I2 J. O. ANDERSON. METHOD OF MOVING PISTONS OF EXPLOSII IEENGINES.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1900.)

8 Sheets-Sheei I.

(No Model.)

IIIImI IIII IIH lN VE N TOR WITNESSES A 7TORNE Y.

No. 65!,742. Patented .lune I2, [900.

J. C. ANDERSON.

METHOD OF MOVING PISTONS 0F EXPLU SIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) I 8 Sheets$heat 2.

N0. 65l,742. Patented lune I2, 1900. J. C. ANDERSON.

METHOD OF MOVING PISTONS 0F EXPLUSIVE ENGINES.

' (Application filed Apr. 5, 1900.)

(N o M o d e l ATTO E).

I: n I Ill p ///////Z/ W 8 Sheets-Sheet 3.

[III] lI/IIIIIIII/IIIIIII/IIIIIII Sigma r A I r M .5 H\ w, y 1 l No.65!,742. I Patented lune l2, I900, J. C. ANDERSON.

METHOD OF MOVING PISTONS OF EXPLOSIVE ENGINE S.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1900.:

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Shaet 4.

@EzQ A @m [/VVENTOR III WITNESSES:

no. s5|,742. Patented lune I2, I900.

J. c. ANDERSON. METHOD OF MOVING PISTONS 0F EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1900.)

a ShetsSheat 5.

(No Model.)

. X Z \FE S .5

I \N in M S ,Q Q m /N VE N TOR W/ TNESSES f No. 65l,742. I Patented lunel2, I900. J. C. ANDERSON.

METHOD OF MOVING PISTONS 0F EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Application filed Apr. 5', 1900.. (No mom.) a Sheets-Sheet s.

Ill/MW Til/m 26 26 0 P Z P a V26%n [NV/i/VTOR Patented lune l2, I900.

C. ANDERSON. METHOD OF MOVING PISTONS 0F EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

(Applicat ion filed Apr. 5, 1960.

8 Sheets-Sheet 7.

(No Model.)

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g I. ENEMY llll'll m VENTOR B) w' 777mm? Y.

0. 1,742- Patented lune I2, I900,

J. C. ANDERSON.

METHOD OF MOVING PISTONS OF EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

' (Application flied Apr. 5, 1900.|

8 Sheets-Sheet 8.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE."-

JAMES C. ANDERSON, OF HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,742, dated J ne 12,1900.

Original application filed December 9, 1899, Serial No. 739,830. Dividedand thiaapplication filed April 6. 1900. Barill No.

I 11,668. (No model.)

' to make and use the same.

My invention relates to a new and useful method of moving thepistons'ofexplosive-engines, and especially in giving to the, pistonsreciprocating and rotative action, as fullydescribed in a pendingapplication for Letters Patent filed by me on the 9th day of December,1899, Serial No. 739,830,2ind of which this is adi'visio'nal applicationunder requirement by the Patent Office in said application.

My present invention deals withthe use of l liquid air as one of theagentsto produce explosive force fordriving the piston, and in orderthat its advantages maybe fully understood -I will first call mementosomeo'f the known properties of liquid air. g

It is well known that liquid air is the result of excessive compressionof atmospheric air andis composed principally of nitrogen and oxygen inabout the proportion of four to one, respectively, and that when placedin an open vessel it will by absorption of heat from the surroundingatmosphere throwoflfamuch larger proportion of nitrogen than oxygen,thus leaving the latterin a iiiore concentrated condition", and hencemore availableas'anexplosive agentwhenmixedin suitableproportions withhydrocarbon; v It is onejof the pubposes of my invention to take'advantage of this fact, and 1 therefore contemplate purposelyeliminating to a large extent the initr'og'eu constituen't o'f liquidair, and to'thns not only deprive it of a constituent which tends toretardor quench combustion, but at the same timetoputthe oxygen in suchcondition that it will sustain rapid combustion when mixed in suitableproportions wimpydrocarbon, and, hence when such combustion takes placeina closed chamber opening to the piston of an engine the force andefficiency of the engine will be proportionately increased. In utilizingliquid air thus denitrogeni'z'ed and mixedwith hydrocarbon as anexplosive agent for driving the pistonI am enabled to use the heatgenerated by the explosion to successively expand the succeedingcharges'of denitrogenized liquid air and hydrocarbon, and thus utilizesuch expansion as an initial force to partially move the pis ton, whileat the same timethe' heated chamber is cooled during the time of suchexpansion of the contained gases and restored to its normal temperature.

In applying" my invention I prefer to use an engine such as illustratedand described in'my pending application herein referred to, andaccordingly I will in this application illustrate and describe such anengine and the I manner in which it is operated; but before doing so Iwish to explain more in detail the manner in which I modify the physicalconditions of the liquid air.

Instead of using the liquid air from a closed or sealed vessel I placeit in, an open vessel surrou nded, except at the orifice at theupperend, with a vacuum, so that the only point at which heat of thesurrounding atmosphere can combine with or be absorbed bythe liquidairfto any greatextent is through said opening or orifice atthe upperendof the receiver or reservoir, at which point the nitrogen is permittedto freely escape, and as the escaping nitrogen at its low temperaturecomes in contact with the atmospheric air thelatter is cooled orrefrigerated to such an extent as to retard, if not altogether prevent,its entrance withiir the receiver or reservoir, and owing to therelative specific g'ravities of the coi'nponnts of liquid airthe oxygenwill tend to segregatebelow the nitrogen and may be drawn off in desiredquantities from such locality and mingled in suitable proportions withthe liquid hydrocarbon in the explosivechamber of the engine and theredulyexpanded, fg'nited, and exploded, as will be presentlyexplained, p s

It will be understood that when considered as a source of powerliqnidair of necessity fb fssiits th equivalent amountuf; fo ce e quiredfor its production. In other words, a.

, s eenmeqet or qu d airi' l' i t ns an anoi t of energy equal only tothe force exerted in embbdying my invention.

theproduction of the liquid air, butsaid air represents concentratedenergy, and hence an amount of forcadequate for a given purpose can becarried in much more compact form and in less bulk thanit would bepossible to carry the apparatus required to produce the liquid air, andconsequently my improved method may be utilized with very greatadvantage for driving engines employed to move vehicles of all kinds,such as the ordinary automobile, in which the motive power should be oflimited weight in proportion to 'the capacity. For instance, if liquidair or ordinary compressed air be employed expansively as a motive -force it becomes necessary in the case of liquid air touse very strongand-heavy cylinders tocontain the same, and in the case of the ordinarycompressed airit is necessary that the containing cylinders orreservoirs "should not only be very heavy and'strong, but that theyshould be of large capacity or size, so'that it will be seen,ashereinbefore explained; in the emw ployment of 1ny-improved method I amenabled-to carry a large amount of motive force within acomparatively-limited space, and that by reason of the open condition ofthe liquid-air cylinder-or containing vessel said vessel need. not bemade strong and heavy. as would be the case if the liquid air weresealed or confined. t

I will now proceed to describe the details of engine best fitted for theuse of. my improved method,refei'ringby letters and figures to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figurel is a perspective'viewot anengine Fig. 2' is a horizontal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3'. Fig.

is a vertical-section on the line 30f Fig. 6. Fig. 4 isa section on. theline 44 of Fig. 6, sh'owing the piston to the extreme right.

' Fig.5 is ahoriz'ontal secltiokon the line 5 5 of Fig. 6, showingthepistonin the-position as shown in Figs. 2 and10. Fig. 6 isa sec? tionon the line 6 6 of Fig. 2, the piston being" in the position shown inFig. 9. is ahorizontal section of the cylinder broken away at each end.,Fig. Sis a detail sectional view showing the means for regulating and5...

controlling the supply of liquid airand hydrocarbon. Figs. 9,110, 11,and12 are horizontal sectional views showing, respectively, the positionof the radial wing and box-valve at the timeofexplosive impact, extremeleft throw, second or reverse impact, and extreme right throw. Fig. 13is a top or plan and partial section on two horizontal planes, the firstsection being through the box-valve and its seat and the second lowerdown and centrallythrough the cylinder and piston, the latter'beiugshown partially in plan and with the'suppl'y-pipcs omitted at one side.Fig;

' 14 is'a vertical section on the line 7 f Fig.

13. Fig. 15is a similar section on theliue 8 8 of Fig. 13; and Fig. 16is a diagrammatic view in perspective, showing the liquid-air I and bydrocarbon tanks and the conduit-pipes Fig. 7

leading therefrom to the explosion-chambers of the engine.

Similar letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

A is the bed of the engine, and it is adapted to be bolted or. securedin place in any suitable manner. V

B is the cylinder, formed with or secured to the bed A, and C C are-thecylinder-heads, secured in place upon the flanges of the ends of thecylinder by bolts D, The cylinder B is formed with an exhaust-port E atthe bottom, communicating with an outlet F through the bed A.

G G are lateral openings or wells surrounded by circular walls I-[ II,and I I are screwcaps for closing the wells G and constituting bearingsfor diametric shafts J J.

K is an upwardly-projecting box inclosed by a cover L, secured to thebox by bolts M. The interior side walls of the box K are inclined orconverge, as shown at Fig. 6, and constitute a seat for the inclinedsides of a wing valve-box N, the sides of which are each formed with aport or passage 0, adapted to register with ports P in the side walls ofthe box K, which ports I lead to or communicate with explosion-chambersQ in, the said box.

R R are two valve carriers or seats,which are screwed into the box-K onopposite sides and communicate with the two explosion-chambers Q. Thesevalveseats are each provided with two longitudinal channels S toconstitute conduits for liquid air and hydrocarbon,

respectively, as will be presently described, and stem-valves T, withbeveled valve-heads, are located in the channels S and held in operativeposition by spiralsprings U, washers V, and screw-nuts W, as clearlyshown at Fig. 6. 7 Lateral projections a-(shown' in vertieal'section atFig. 3) exte'nd on each side from the box K. and are formed withright-angled or curved liquid-air conduits'or chambers b and hydrocarbonchambers or conduits c, which communicate when the valves '1 are openwith the longitudinal channels S in the valve carriers R in an obviousmanner.

d d are branch tubes,which are screwed into the. opposite sides of thevalve-carrier R. A liquid-air-supply pipe e extends from a suitableliquid-airreservoir or receptacle and connects with one of the branchpipes d, and another supply-pipe f extends from a hydrocarbonrcservoir-or receptacle and connects with the other branch pipe (1.Thesebranch pipes d are formed with two vertical pistonchannels adaptedto receive reciprocating pistons orvalves g g. The partition or wallbetween the piston-channels is provided with a communicating passage h,(clearly shown at.

Figs. 3 and 8,) and the outer pistons g are x formed with a passage orchannel th-rough the upper end, adapted when in properposit-ion toregister withthe channel h, so that the charge tons g may be forcedthrough the channels it into the chambers b and c. This action isproduced through the following instrumentalities:

The upper ends of the pistons r are bored out to receivea solid platenor disk t', having a stem L'- rigidly connected therewith and passingthrough a suitable stu fling-box in the upper side of the branch pipeand threaded at l in order that it may be adjusted within the thread inthe seatm. The extreme outer end of the stem 7c is provided with anoperating-handle or hand-wheel n. The upper bored-out end of the pistony isclosed by aserew-plug o,through which the stern it passes, and bymeans of the handle 91 the platen or disk i is so adjusted withreference to the under side of the plug 0 as to leave the space orchannel 1), before referred to, of any suitable proportion incrosssection, which will, when the pistons are in their elevatedposition, register with and receive a charge of liquid air and a chargeof hydrocarbon, respectively, from the conduit-pipes e and f. As thepistons descend the solid or plugged heads will first cut oilthe flow ofair and hydrocarbon, and then, approaching the immovable platen or disk'1', the air and, hydrocarbon will be squeezed between the plugs o andthe platens i and forced through the channel 7!; into the chambers I)and over the heads of the pisstons g My this construction I am enab edto control the quantity or supply of liquid air and hydrocarbon injectedinto the explosion-chamber, because by the rotation of the stem Irthrough the threaded seat on the space between the plug or head 0 andthe upper face of the disk 1' may be decreased 'or increased or entirelyclosed. Consequently when traveling slowly and when comparatively-smallpower is required the supply of liquid air and hydrocarbon may bereduced by contracting the space between the disk 2' and plug o, and intraveling downgrade, where power may be entirely dispensed with, thespace between the plug and disk may be entirely closed and the supply ofair and hydrocarbon entirely cut off. In order that thisaction may takeplace simultaneously in all of the supplypipes, I provide each of thestems k with a fixed lever or arm 5 and connect the several levers orarms by link-rods .6, so that by op erating the hand wheel or leverbefore referred to and which may be secured to any one of the stems It:all of the stems may be rotated simultaneously, and consequently thesupply from the liquid-air and hydrocarbon tanks or reservoirs may beobviously controlled or entirely out off.

The lower ends of thepistons g g are secured, as shown, in the upperface of a crosshead 1), having an elliptical opening q, adapted toreceive an eccentric 'r on each of the shafts J, and, as will beobvious, when the cross-heady) is raisedby the eccentric r the pistons gg will be raised, and when the crossheadis drawn down by th'eeccentricthe piscommunicationbetween the chamber-s51) and,

c and the liquid-air and hydrocarbon pipese andfis absolutely cut off. ia

After'the chambers b and 0 have been loaded to a sufficient extent bythe described move ment of the pistons g the action of the pistons 5 gin their upward movement against the air and hydrocarbon will cause thevalves '1 to open against the action of the coil-spring U and permit acharge of air anda charge of hydrocarbon to enter the explosion-chamberQ, and as the pistons descend the coil-springs U will cause the valvesto close'the communication between the channels S and the explosion-chamber. At the same time that the pistons desceml through theaction of the shaft J'and eccentric and have established a perfectcut-off a radial arm s, secured to the shaft J, passes between andcontacts with insulated plates 1 I, which are connected by'suit ablewires u with an electrode secured within the box K and projecting intothe explosionchamber, and consequently a spark will be made and the airand hydrocarbon exploded. It will be seen that the radial arms s, whichcomplete the circuits and cause the sparks, are diametrically arrangedon the two shafts J, and consequently explosions will be madealternately in the chambers Q on opposite sides of the box K.

The diametric shafts J are caused to rotatev through the medium ofdiametric peripheral arms 1', secured to the reciprocating and rotativepiston A and cranks uwith an intermediate universal joint, such asdescribed in the pending application hereinbefore referred to. Eitherorboth of said shafts may be utilized as driving-shafts. The piston A isformed with a central diametric web B, having apocket therein to receiveone end of a radial wing (l, which is housed within the box-valve N, asclearly shown at Figs. 2, 4, and (i, and a spring I), located betweenthe bottom edge of the wing and bottom of its pocket, holds the upperedgeof the wing in close gas-tight contact with the inner side of thetop of the box-valve.

The motions of the piston, wing, and boxvalve are all such as fullydescribed in the application herein referred to, viz: The piston reciprocates longitudinally and oscillates upon an imaginary longitudinalaxis, accordingly as the motive agent exerts its force upon the heads ofthe piston or on each side of the radial wing C, and the relation of theports and the reciprocating and rotative action of the piston are suchthat the pistons maybe started from any point of rest and no deadcentcrshave to be overcome, all as fully described in the application referredto.

v To start the engine, I provide a sprocketwheel 7, journaled on a shortshaft 8, :ctending from a bridge or bracket 9, and the' sprocket-wheelis provided with a suitable handle 10 for rotating it. On another shaft11, journaled in a lower bridge or bracket, are located asprocket-wheel12 and a mutilated gear 13in fixed relation to each other, and upon thecollar of the eccentric r is secured a gear-wheel 14, adapted to meshwith the teeth upon the mu tilated gear 13. A sprocket-chain tra'versesthe'upper and lower sprocketwheels'7 and 12.

From the construction it will be seen that when the upper sprocket-wheel7 is rotated it will, through the medium of the chain 15, cause thelower sprocket-wheel 12 to rotate, and with it the mutilated gear 13,and when the teeth of the latter mesh with the. gearwheel 14 saidgear-wheel will rotate and carry with it the shaftJ and eccentric r, andsuch movement of the shaft and eccentric, as hercinbefore explained,will cause the liquid a-ir and hydrocarbon' to be supplied to theexplosion -chambers and ignited by a spark from the electrodes. Therotation of the shaft Jwill cause the piston to move, and

with it the wing O' andbox-valve, into such position that the severalports will be in proper relation, and the engine will thus be set inmotion. The purpose of formingthe gear 13 with 'a mutilation is inorder-that when the engine has been started the gears 13 and let willrun out of mesh, and consequently the starting mechanism will come to astate of rest. a

I will now proceed to describe the particular arrangement of portsthrough the me- .dium of which the rotative and reciprocating motionsare imparted to the pistons, and its four-way motion is converted intothe rotary motion of the driving shaft or shafts J.

Assuming that the engine is at a state of rest and that the piston andbox-valve are in theposition shown in Figs. 6 and 9 and that it isdesirable to start the engine forwardly or in the direction indicated bythe arrows in Figs. 1 and 9, the engineer grasps the lever 10 and turnsit to the right min the reverse direction to the desired movement of thepiston, the sprocket-wheel 7 will, through the medium of the chain. 15,cause the sprocketwheel 1-2 a and the mutilated gear to mesh with thesprocket-wheel 14 on the drivingshaft J and will cause the latter torotate to the left or in. the reverse direction, and by reasonof theconnection between the crank w on the shaft J and the radial arm '22 onthe piston A the latter will be moved .in the direction of the arrowsreferred to, and at the same time, as hcreinbefore explained, themovement of the cross-heads p' through the action of the eccentrics rwill cause the reciprocation of the pistons g g on both sides of theengine, and consequently the liquid air and hydrocarbon will be forcedinto the explosion-chambers Q- aud the electrodes will alternately sparkateach half-revolution "of the shafts J, and obviously the charges ofliquid air and hydrocarbon will "be exploded. Should the first charge ofair and'hydrocarforced into either of the explosion-cham- 'bers Q failto explode by reason of the tem-. ,perature of the chambers or from anyother cause, the eontinued'movements of the'shaft J will causeadditional charges of air and hydrocarbon to be introduced and sparks to:bemade until the conditions are such as to secure the desiredexplosion, and, as soon as an explosion takes place on either side ofthe valve-box N the port P from the explosionchamber Q and the port 0 onthe side of the valve-box will register and the wing (3' will bear therelation to said ports as shown in Figs. 6 and'.9. The explosive forcewill thus be exerted against the side of the wing C and cause it to bevibrated toward the center of the valve-box, and when it has reached thecenter line, carrying with it the piston A, as shown at Fig. 10, thepiston will have reached the limit of its reciprocating stroke, as shownat Fig. 5, this initial reciprocating movement of the piston beingeffected through the medium of the crank 11 on a shaft and itsconnection with the shaft 11, extending radially from the periphery ofthe piston (which latterhas been partially rotated on an imaginarylongitudinal axis and reciprocated tothe end of its stroke) will have asa resolution of the stated movements of the piston traveled in a pathrepresented by one-fourth of a true circle. Just as the wing C reachesthe center line, as shown at Fig. 10, and the piston has completed itsreciprocating stroke the degree of rotative movement of the said pistonhas brought the port 16 of the piston into initi'al register with thespace in the valve-' box between the wing C and theside of the box fromwhich the said wing has traveled, as shown at Fig. 10, (itbeingunderstood that the valve-box is open at the bottom, as described in thepending application hereinbefore referred to.) The force of theexplosion andthe expansion of the gases generated continue to vibratethe wing G into the position shown at Fig. 11, and as the'piston A iscorrespondingly rotated the port 16 is progressively brought into fullregister with the space in the valve-box, and from the time of. theinitial register. of the port 16 with the valve-box until full andcomplete register is made and during its continuance the expansive forceof the gases traverses through the said port and thence through thelongitudinal passage communicating withfport 16 to the space between theheadlof the piston and the head 0 of the cylinderand'causes the pistonto travel eoincidentl y with and in the same direction as thevalve-box,- asshown at Fig. 1 1. During the rotation and reciprocationof the piston which takes place -while the wing C moves'fromtheposit-ibnshowu at Fig. 10 to that shown at Fig; '-1'I=--it has traveleda path similar to that made'intra' v'eling from the pos'itiou'shown-at}Fig. 9 'to that shown at Fig. 10, and consequentlyh'ascomple'ted am0vement'of half a tr ue 'circlet When the wing C has reached theposition shown at Fig. 11 (which is exactly reverse to that shown atFig.

fl) and the piston A has moved accordingly, as described, the port 0 onthe opposite side of the valve-box is in register with the port Pot thecxplosion-chamber(3 on theopposite side of the box K, and this chamberhaving been supplied with charges of denitrogenized liquid air andhydrocarbon said charge is exploded by the spark from the electrode insaid chamber, and the explosive force is exerted against the wing toforce it in a reverse direction and to the center, as shown at Fig. 12,in which position the wing Chas traveled a path equal to three-quartersof a circle, the piston at such time having completed a full half-strokeand hroughtthe port 17 of the piston into initial register with thespace between the wing and the side of the valve-box N and in the samerelation thereto as the port 16 occupied to the valve-box when the portswere in the position shown at Fig. 10. As the port 17 of the pistoncommunicates with a longitudinal passage leading to the head ofthe.piston opposite that to which the passage from the port 10 leads, itwill be seen that the piston will be forced in the reverse direction,while the wing C continues its vibratin g movement until it reaches orreturns to the initial position illustrated at Fig. 9and completes apath of movement represented by a full circle.

By observing the ports 10 and u and their relation to the spaces eachside of the'wing C it will be seen that the gases between the wing andthe sides of the valve-box are alternately exhausted through said portsas they alternately change from live to exhaust ports in an obviousmanner, and at the same time that they become exhaust-ports thereciprocation and rotation of the piston brings the longitudinalpassages communicating with the ports 16 and 17 alternately intoregister with the port E of the cylinder, so that the exhaust from thevalve-box, as well as from the spaces between the piston-heads and theheads of the cylinder, may escape and be discharged through the outletF.

By special reference to Figs. 10 and 12,,

which represent the extreme reverse reciproeating movement of thevalve-box and accordingly also the extreme reciprocating movements ofthe piston, as shown at Figs. 5 and 4, respectively, it will be seenthat just as the exhaust of the motive force between the cylinder andthe approaching cylinderhead has been completed the ports 17 and 16respectively close, and the gases remaining between the wing and theside of the boxvalve toward which the wing is traveling are confined andcompressed slightly and until the ports and P begin to register and whencommunication is established with the explosion-chamber Q, and thepartially-com pressed gases the'n mingle with the gases arisingfrom theadmixture of the hydrocarbon and denitrrogenized liquid air in theexplosion-chamber. The combined gases are then all furthe compressed anduntil the ports 0 and I are slightly past the central line of register,thus giving greater ell'ective force to the expiosion.

As will be readily seen by reference to the drawings, the ports 0 and Pand explosionchamber Q on opposite sides of the engite bear suchrelation to the movement of the piston and the valve-box, as well as thedevices which operate to change the explosionchambers, that the supplyof liquid air and hydrocarbon is forced into said chambers sufficientlyin advance ofthe ti me when the spark is made to secure the properconditions for successful and efiective explosion.

After the engine has been started and continues to run the successiveand alternate explosions which take place in the chambers Q on oppositesides will raise the temperature of said chamber to such a degree as tofacilitate the expansion of the denit'rogenized liquid-air charge and togasify the charge of hydrocarbon, and consequently the combined gasesresulting from the mixtu e of the denitrogenized liquid air and carbonwill be in condition to give off the most effective explosive force. Itwill be readily understood from the construction shown and describedthat, as heretofore stated, I am enabled to determine-the speed andpower of my improved engine by controlling the supply of denitrogenizedliquid air and hydrocarbon injected into the explosion-chambers, thusenabling me to use the motive force with great economy. It will also beseen that the instrumentalities employed for controlling the supply aresuch that all accidental explosions eitherwithin or outside of theexplosion-chambersare prevented,becausc the ignitingspark cannot be madeuntil the explosion-chambers have been properly loaded and absolutelyand positively cut oil'- from the supply-chambers b and c, and allcommunication between the latter and the supply-pipes e and f and theliquid-air and hydrocarbon tanks or reservoirs has likewise beenpositively closed.

The engine maybe readily stopped at any time by either shutting off thesupply of oxygen and carbon in the manner described or by cutting theelectrodes out by a suitable switch.

Ilaving described the construction and operation of my improved enginefrom the standpoint of continuous movement in one direction and ofcontrolling the speed and power of the same, as well as acompletestoppage thereof, I will now explain the manner in which it'may bepromptly and readily reversed.

The box-valve N is provided with lateral ports 24 and 25 (see Fig. 13)on each side adapted to register, respectively,with the passages 26 and27 alternately, which passages 26 and 27, as shown, are in thecylindrical wall of the piston and diametricallyopposite to each otherand lead. as clearly shown in Fig. 13, to the center of each head of thepiston, which is bored and countersunk toreceive a rotative disk 28,provided with a radial wing 29, adapted to be vibrated within a chamberlateral to the space occupied by the disk 28, as clearly shown in Figs.-14 and 15. After the disks 28 have been properly located they aresecured inposition by plugs 30, which are secured by screw-bolts 31,which constitute the pivot or axis upon which the disks 28 rotate, thecountersink in the heads of the pistons being stepped, as clearly shownin Fig. 5, to form an annular shoulder against which the plugs are heldby the screw-bolts 31, while leaving the disks 28 free to rotate. Theplugs are formed with passages 32 to'register with and formcontinuations 'of the passages 16 and 17, and the disks 28 are formedwith diametric passages 33, designed to alternately register with saidpassages 16 and 17 and the passages 32, accordingly as said disks arerotated in one or the other direction.

Looking at Fig. 13 and assuming that an explosion has taken place in theupper explosion-chamber Q and the impact and expansive force of thegases has forced the wing G into the position shown and the piston A hastraveled to the end of the cylinder, the box-valve.N has rcciprocatedaccordingly, and the port 24 inv passing the passage 26 permitted thegases to enter the latter and travel to the end of the piston andagainst the wing 29 of the disk 28, rotating the latter into theposition shown at Fig. 1-1 and establishing free communication betweenthe passage 16 in the piston and the space between the head of thepiston andthe adjacent ends 0 of the cylinderB, and at the same time thevertical portion of the passage 16 of the piston begins to register oropen into the space between the wing O and the side walls of thebox-valve, while at the same time the passage 17, which has been theexhaust, is being closed and remains closed when the wing C 'is movingfrom the position indicatedat Fig.

11 and until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 12 after ithas beensubjected to the action of the explosion which has occu rred in-thesecond or opposite explosion-chamber Q. When said passage 17 becomeslive and the passage 16 is the exhaust as thepistoncontinues itsreciprocation, in the direction indicated by the position of-the-box-valve'as shown in .Fig. 12, the port v25 of the valve-boxregistersgtora time with the passages 27 on the same ide, and the forceof the gas is admitted against the wing 29 to rotate the disk 28 intothe position shown at Fig. 15, thus estab lishing the proper relationbetween the sev-,

eral ports and passages heretoforedescribed to seeure'the continuousmovement of. the enginein the'ldirectibn in which itwas started. 'Now'if-it fbe desired to reverse the movement Egof the engine, after it hasof necessitybeen brought to astop the hand-lever 10 is turned in adirection reverse to that which was given it forthe movementheretoforedescribed,and as a consequence the piston is reciprocated and rotatedsothat the initial explosion, oc-

curs on the opposite side of the wing to that previously described, andconsequently the disks 28are rcversely operated upon to set the portsand passages in proper relation for the continuous reverse movement ofthe engine. It will thus be seen that after the piston is started ineither direction desired by the starting-lever 10 the relations of theparts are established automatically to secure the continuous movement ofthe engine in" the desireddirection, and as I am not aware that it hasever before been suggested to reverse the ports of an engine by thedirect action of the motive force employed to run the engine I do notwish to be confined to the specific means shown and described foraccomplishing this result, as many changes in construction may bedevised and suggested without departing from the spirit of my inventipn,which in this particular rests in the generic idea of utilizing themotive force to change the relation of the ports of an engine andthrough such change to automatically establish the direction ofmovement.

While I have shown and described mechanism for causing a spark from anelectrode in the explosion-chamber at a time when it has fully vbeencharged and all communication with the supply-chamber pipes andreservoirs has been absolutely cut off, I desire it to be understoodthat I prefer that the spark should be made 'just after the piston haspassed the exact central point of its movement, and it willbe obviousthat the positive and'negative contact-wires nu may be duplicated, andthe insulated-plates it maybe divided vertically and insulated andeither division of the said plates put incirc'uit byfan automaticswitch, sothat as the contact-arm s traverses its path it will-not makeelectrical contact until it has passed the vertical insu- -lated centerline of the plates 25. I...

Many other ways may be devised for accomplishing the result withoutdcpartingfrom the spiritof my invention, wh ch in this particular doesnot relate to the means by'whieh the spark is made at any given time,but in the generic idea of sparking through any in;

strumentality at a predetermined time with reference to the, movement ofthe piston.

I desire to call particular attention to the fact that the engine isprovidedv with. two shafts J l J, the rotation of which through themedium of their connection with the piston causes the proper chargingand explosion of .the gases in the explosion-chambers Q on'oppositesides of the piston-wing, and consequently either or'both of said shaftsmay be utilized as a driving shaft or shafts, and that when both areusedas drivers power may not only-be applied economically on each side .ofthe engine, but such application ofpower will steady-and hold theengine'firmly in all its bearings and thoroughly balance the same. Byreference to diagram matic view-shown at Fig. 16 it will be seen thatthe liquid-air reservoir is open at the top for the escape of thenitrogen constituent and that the 'denitrq :igeniz'ed liqnid air isdrawn from the bottom of said reservoir and conducted directly to theexplosion-chambers of the engine. 5 i I desire to lay special stressupon the fact that I amenable-d to take from the reservoirs liquidairand hydrocarbon, and consequently am enabled to'use them with greateconomy to and safety.

While I have described the employment of denitrogenized liquid air (orliquid air which has been deprived to a greater or less extent of thenitrogen mixed therewith) as one of 1.5 the agents for producing theexplosive force for driving an engine and ha re named naphtha as one ofthe best forms of carbon which of necessity must be mixed with thedenitrogenized air, it will be understood that I do '0. not wish to belimited as to the particular form of carbon which may be used, as the,

liquid, air in its denitrogenized form will when mixed with anysuitableor attenuated hydrocarbon accelerate and intensify the ex- 2 5 plos-ionresulting from the ignition of the combined gases.

Having described the construction, operation, and advantages of myimproved engine I employ (Ienitrogo genized liquid air and hydrocarbonco nbined .trogenized liquid air,

as a motive agent for driving the same, what I claim as new, and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, isv 1. Thermet-hod herein describedfordriving the pistons of explosive-engines which con- 5" sists inmixing with a closed chamber, opening to the piston, a predeterminedquantity of liquid air deprived wholly orin part of its nitrogenconstituent, and a predetermined quantity of hydrocarbon or equivalentagent, and exploding the gases resulting from such admixture, by theapplication of an electric spark or otherwise.

2. The method herein described for driving the pistonsofexplosive-engines, which consists in first depriving liquid air whollyor in part of its nitrogen constituent, second, mingling in a closedchamber opening tothe piston, a predetermined quantity of the deniwithapredetermined 50 quantity of hydrocarbon, and finally igniting andexploding the combined gases within said chamber.

In testimony whereof I affix in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. ANDERSON.

my signature Witnesses:

G. P. RoUT'r, J. G. Boom.

Letters Patent No. 651,742,

Countersigned Correction in .It is hereby certified that in LettersPatenl: N0. 651,742, granted June 12, 190 upon the applicatidn of JamesG. Andenson, offlighland' Park, Illinois, for an improvement in Methodof Moving Pistons of Explosive Engines, an GlflOl appears in the Signed,countersigned, allei 'ea lea iahie 19th day of June, A. D., 1900.

F. L. CAMPBELL, Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

. I Q l h WA TER H. CHAMBERLIN, l

Acting Commissionerflfliaients.

